Film with a great concept that feels shallow and lackluster to the extreme degree.
The Mill is a 2023 horror thriller film directed by Sean King O’Grady staring Lil Rel Howery as Joe, an employee working for the Mallard Corporation. Joe wakes up one day locked in a strange room and tries to escape away from the horrors and back to his family.
Pros: I absolutely loved the concept of this film. As a big Black Mirror fan myself, this felt right at home with the feel and tech based horror. This film has two endings: a great pre-ending in the last 10 minutes that is creepy and could be cut off there. Then we get the actual last 15 minutes that throw off the vibe and ensures the audience, “yes, this is the final cherry on a trash film.”
Cons: Its funny. The last review before this one is The After. A short film that deserves a longer edition. Now I see The Mill. A longer film that either needed a more fleshed out script or shortened down to the format of a shirt film. A very odd back-to-back duo. Lol
Lil Rel is a great comedian and backup when in the right context. This is not the right context. Unfortunately, I don’t think Lil Rel has the mindset or capability for a dramatic film like this.
The film also has some of the worst camera work I’ve seen in a while. Somehow the set design of a dirt floor with four walls seems basic and plain. There is nothing visually interesting to look at (which I get) but at some point, you need to move on and give some development to the character and his environment.
Looking on the other reviews you realize the number of plot holes that are just skipped over and ideas that on paper might be fine are not drawn out well on screen.
Summary: Disappointingly, this is another Black Mirror knockoff film that stumbles it way headfirst into a pile of dookie. The film is shallow and doesn’t give any reason for its audience to keep watching. Lil Rel is a good actor when surrounded by other talent. By himself? Locked in a room? I think we’ll pass sir
Film with a great concept that feels shallow and lackluster to the extreme degree.
The Mill is a 2023 horror thriller film directed by Sean King O’Grady staring Lil Rel Howery as Joe, an employee working for the Mallard Corporation. Joe wakes up one day locked in a strange room and tries to escape away from the horrors and back to his family.
Pros: I absolutely loved the concept of this film. As a big Black Mirror fan myself, this felt right at home with the feel and tech based horror. This film has two endings: a great pre-ending in the last 10 minutes that is creepy and could be cut off there. Then we get the actual last 15 minutes that throw off the vibe and ensures the audience, “yes, this is the final cherry on a trash film.”
Cons: Its funny. The last review before this one is The After. A short film that deserves a longer edition. Now I see The Mill. A longer film that either needed a more fleshed out script or shortened down to the format of a shirt film. A very odd back-to-back duo. Lol
Lil Rel is a great comedian and backup when in the right context. This is not the right context. Unfortunately, I don’t think Lil Rel has the mindset or capability for a dramatic film like this.
The film also has some of the worst camera work I’ve seen in a while. Somehow the set design of a dirt floor with four walls seems basic and plain. There is nothing visually interesting to look at (which I get) but at some point, you need to move on and give some development to the character and his environment.
Looking on the other reviews you realize the number of plot holes that are just skipped over and ideas that on paper might be fine are not drawn out well on screen.
Summary: Disappointingly, this is another Black Mirror knockoff film that stumbles it way headfirst into a pile of dookie. The film is shallow and doesn’t give any reason for its audience to keep watching. Lil Rel is a good actor when surrounded by other talent. By himself? Locked in a room? I think we’ll pass sir
